The YWCA's Stand Against Racism didn’t get its start here, but the Asheville edition is in the national spotlight this year. The YW’s Trenton, N.J., chapter, unveiled the first Stand — a series of community events highlighting cultural diversity and the continuing struggle against racism — in 2007; the concept went nationwide last year. And […]
HATCH took over downtown Asheville, April 14-17. The annual networking event aims to be a “creative-idea and business incubator,” energizing "creative professionals and thought leaders who are serious about transforming their ideas and talents into bold action, while inspiring others to do the same," according to the event’s website. This year's festivities encompassed four days […]
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month — a chance for the Buncombe County Department of Social Services to educate area residents about how each of us can help support a safe, healthy and thriving community. Protecting our children requires a strong commitment by residents who, individually and collectively, care enough to report their concerns: […]
Asheville’s Folk Art Center faces an uncertain future due to a change in the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s operating agreement with the National Park Service. Located at milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the multipurpose facility includes galleries, a craft store, a library and more. The guild built the popular tourist destination in 1980 […]
A look at what’s been making headlines: Rep. Heath Shuler concluded his bid for speaker of the House last week, and controversial Buncombe GOP Chair Chad Nesbitt bowed out of a second term. Also, snowy weather continued to blanket WNC.
A look at what’s been making headlines this week: Recently re-elected Congressman Heath Shuler plans House minority leader bid; Republicans take over the North Carolina State House; WNC gets an early snowfall; and local ski areas open for the season much earlier than normal.
While for the most part Buncombe voters defied state and national trends and elected Democrats, local Republican and Tea Party leaders say they see signs of hope in this week’s results. Pictured here: Buncombe GOP chair Chad Nesbitt and Republican supporters monitor results on election night. Photos by Jonathan Welch
Campaign season came to a close this week with local candidates and political parties engaged in an epic battle for votes.
In a live broadcast expected to reach nearly 100,000 voters tonight, Oct. 14, in the 11th District, incumbent Congressman Heath Shuler and his Republican challenger Jeff Miller will appear together on WLOS in an informal “sit down” with news anchor Russ Bowen. Xpress reporters Michael Muller and Jake Frankel visited the WLOS studios last night for a behind-the-scenes video tour of the studio and to get a preview of the big event.
The Buncombe County district attorney oversees a growing court system with a big caseload. The holder of this office has considerable power over how individual cases are handled, whether plea bargains are made, and how crimes are punished (or not) by the court system. For 20 years, Democrat Ron Moore has been top gun at […]
Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan, a Democrat, is fighting off a challenge from Republican Dickie Green. A self-proclaimed “conservative constitutionalist” who's been endorsed by the local tea party, Green has waged an aggressive campaign to cast the incumbent as fiscally irresponsible, citing an $8.5 million increase in the office's budget under Duncan. "That's unacceptable in […]
Four races in Buncombe County's 28th Judicial District involve more than one candidate competing for a judgeship: both Superior Court openings and two of the five District Court positions (Judge Sharon Barrett, candidate Julie Kepple and Judge Rebecca Knight are running unopposed for District Court). Mountain Xpress asked candidates in the four competitive races to […]
News roundup: Buncombe County’s political parties continued to butt heads last week in the run-up to the Nov. 2 election.
Hunt the Cure, a local cancer charity that was associated with a recent controversial fundraiser held by the local GOP — which, as it turns out, raised a total of $310 — has declined any donations from the event. John Boggs, the group’s founder, cites a rash of bad publicity and harassing phone calls from Democrats and “people posing as journalists” for the decision.
The race for Buncombe County’s 49th District state Senate seat pits Republican challenger RL Clark against longtime incumbent Martin Nesbitt. To unseat the powerful Democrat, who was elected Senate majority leader in 2009 after serving 11 terms in the state House and five years in the Senate, Clark is hoping to harness what he believes […]
Historic mid-term elections are coming up on Nov. 2. If you are a Democrat or lean toward Democrat, use your privilege to vote and pull a straight Democratic ticket to ensure that your President can continue to get work done. In N.C., we have the chance to replace Sen. Richard Burr with Elaine Marshall. Burr […]
Larry Pierson, deputy chief of the Swannanoa Fire Department, says that no one at the department was informed that a recent fundraiser held by the Buncombe County Republican Party was political in nature or that it would directly benefit that party’s get-out-the-vote efforts.
The men who chair the local Democratic and Republican Party organizations are a study in contrasts. Charles Carter and Chad Nesbitt couldn’t be more different — in their manner and their respective approaches to this year’s campaigns. But in many ways, both have come to personify the organizations they lead. Here’s a closer look at […]
In this video interview, Xpress reporter Jake Frankel speaks with Republican General Assembly District 115 candidate Mark Crawford about his background, his views on the environment, education and jobs, and how he differs from his Democratic opponent, Rep. Patsy Keever.
Buncombe County voters will elect 13 judges this fall from a field of 34 candidates; one late-breaking statewide race has 13 people vying for a single seat. To help deal with the logjam, the state will employ instant-runoff voting in that contest, a first for North Carolina. The method will also be used in three […]
Last weekend, the Buncombe County GOP threw a fundraiser on 9/11 at the Bee Tree Fire Station in Swannanoa. The event featured participants rappelling down a 90-foot tower, with donors asked to contribute $100 per rappel. In its wake, the event and an associated video used to promote it have set off a storm of criticism. This post includes a brief video interview with BCGOP chair Chad Nesbitt at the event as he was about to rappel.
